2. • Affects all ages, although some types
are restricted to certain age groups
• Tends to affect Caucasians, although
many African-Americans are affected
• Has a genetic component, but is not
heritable
• It is a chronic relapsing disease,
although some patients experience
prolonged remission
3. Inflammatory destruction of
blood vessels
•Infiltration of vessel wall with
inflammatory cells
– Leukocytoclasis
– Elastic membrane
disruption
•Fibrinoid necrosis of the
vessel wall
•Ischemia, occlusion,
thrombosis
•Aneurysm formation
•Rupture, hemorrhage
A clinicopathologic
process characterized
by inflammatory
destruction of blood
vessels that results in
occlusion or
destruction of the
vessel and ischemia of
the tissues supplied by
that vessel.
“Systemic vasculitides”
Definition
16. Can occur exclusively but often seen
with PMR
Rare: 15/100,000
Age >50
Cause unknown
Involves the medium/large blood
vessels of the head and neck
including the blood vessels that supply
the optic nerve
17. Unknown trigger causes inflammatory
response with the release of IL-1 and
IL-6.
This leads to systemic symptoms and
the infiltration of inflammatory cells
into the adventitia of the temporal
and other involved arteries
Typical histologic pattern: Giant Cells
18.
19.
20. Temporal Artery Biopsy is the gold
standard
Elevated ESR and CRP, usually levels
higher than in PMR
Anemia
Elevated LFTs not uncommon
21. High dose Steroids (60 mg/day) is the
only drug that works
Slow taper over time usually 1-2 years.
Some patients require low dose (<10
mg/day) chronically
22. Blindness
Scalp Necrosis
Lingual Infarction
Aortic Dissection/Aneurysm
Complications from high dose steroids:
osteoporosis, cataracts, elevated blood
sugars, wt. gain etc.
29. Pathergy- An erythematous papule larger than 2 mm
at the prick site 48 hours after the application of a 20-
to 22-gauge sterile needle, which obliquely penetrated
avascular skin to a depth of 5 mm as read by a
physician at 48 hours
30. Medium vessel vasculitis
Can be caused by Hep B
5/million cases
Peak incidence 50’s & 60’s, slightly
more common in males
31. In Hep B assoc cases immune complexes
play significant role
In non Hep B cases, the pathophysiology
is less understood
32. • Systemic: fever, fatigue, wt loss
• Abdominal pain due to mesenteric
angina/ischemia
• Mononeuritis multiplex
• Myalgias/arthalgias/mild arthritis
• Renal: uremia, Hypertension
• Skin: livedo reticularis, palpable purpura,
fingertip ulceration, subcutaneous nodules
• Testicular pain or tenderness
35. Chronic renal failure
Bowel perforation
Stroke/cerebral
hemorrhage due to HTN
Foot/wrist drop
36. Elevation of acute phase reactants (ESR,
CRP etc)
Absence of ANCA
Elevated transaminases, decreased
albumin
+/- Hep B
Urine: proteinuria and hematuria without
casts
37. Mesenteric and/or renal angiography is
the test of choice
Biopsies seldom done
STRING OF PEARLS
38. High dose steroids and
Cyclophosphamide
Methotrexate or Azathioprine is used as
steroid sparing agents later once the
disease is controlled
Treatment for Hep B with antivirals.
Sometimes plasma exchange is used to
remove immune complexes
46. Potentially fatal vasculitis involving
small vessels
Rare: 3-14/million, more common in
whites, any age but rare in children
Pathology shows necrotizing
granulomas usually in upper airways,
lungs and kidneys
51. Presence of c-ANCA (cytoplasmic staining
pattern antineutrophil cytoplasmic
antibodies + clinical picture is often enough
to make the diagnosis. It is + 80-90% of
generalized WG.
Tissue biopsy of lung or kidney
Elevated CRP and ESR
Anemia, leukocytosis, & thrombocytosis
Elevated Cr
Active urine sediment with red cell casts,
hematuria and proteinuria
52. Prior to immunosuppression therapies,
WG was uniformly fatal. Now survival
rates almost 90% with aggressive
treatment.
High dose steroids and
Cyclophosphamide are cornerstone of
therapy. Methotrexate or Azathioprine
sometimes used as steroid sparing
agents.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58. No specific diagnostic laboratory markers exist
The plasma coagulation factor XIII is reduced
in about 50% of patients
Urinalysis reveals hematuria. Proteinuria may
also be found
CBC can show leukocytosis with eosinophilia
and a left shift. Thrombocytosis is present in
67% of cases
Serum IgA levels are increased in about 50% of
patients during the acute phase of illness
The antistreptolysin O (ASO) titer is elevated in
30% of cases
59. • Remission induction:
– Cyclophosphamide 2mg/kg po qd x 3-6 months
[or 15 mg/kg IV q 2 wk x3 then q 3 weeks x 6-12 months]
– Prednisone 1mg/kg po qd x 1 month, then taper
– [Bactrim, Calcium, Vitamin D]
• Remission maintenance (minimum 2 years)
– Methotrexate 20-25 mg po q week + folate
– Azathioprine 2mg/kg po qd
– Mycophenolate mofetil 1.5 g po BID
– Leflunomide 20-30 mg po BID
60.
61.
62.
63. • Large-vessel vasculitis
– MRI/MRA chest/abdomen/pelvis every 6-12
months
• Medium-vessel vasculitis
– Mesenteric angiogram to assess disease
activity
– EMG/NCV to monitor nerve damage
– Wound care for cutaneous ulcers
• Small-vessel vasculitis
– Chest CT every 6-12 months
– Blood and urine tests every 1-4 weeks
64.
65. • Large-vessel vasculitis
– Blindness, Stroke
– Claudication: “Angina” of the arms
• Medium-vessel vasculitis
– Foot drop: inability to lift a foot
– Wrist drop: inability to lift a hand
– Cutaneous ulcerations
• Small-vessel vasculitis
– Oxygen dependence
– Renal insufficiency/failure